It’s February 5, 2020. I’m working at Mid Pacific Institute (MPI) in Honolulu, facilitating a group of four baseball players in the process of learning to be better leaders. Word comes that a practice game on the next day may be cancelled. Twenty minutes later a message comes that the season is suspended for now. As I’m leaving the campus the guard informs me that starting tomorrow the campus will be closed…and only front-line workers will be allowed to enter. As you know, the season was cancelled, and the campus is still closed. And you know why.
On the drive home it occurred to me that my career as a performance coach was on hold: If I can’t go on a campus to meet with players, coaches or AD’s and the lock down prevents my clients from coming to my home office – then what? The prospects made me feel sad. And for sure, distance learning did not occur to me as an option.
As the reality of the pandemic began to sink in, I used nasal breathing to settle myself and I followed the GED process to deal with the uncertainty and frustration I was feeling. Next, I continued my routine of getting up early to build gratitude training, awareness of the expectations, excitement to deal the challenges and devotion to increase my capacity to make good decisions and move forward.
Next came the decision to downsize, sell our house and create a new and better lifestyle. This process included working 4 to 5 hours every day on getting our house ready to sell. My immediate family provided a huge source of support as we moved through the months. In July we finalized the sale, found a place to live, moved on August 13th and the house closed on August 25th.
In retrospect, the possible stress related to the work, the tight schedule, selling our house and finding a new place to live were mitigated by the confidence that we were doing the right thing, the trust in the process and the proper lens to focus on getting better at what we could control. With this mindset I’m convinced that it is possible to “Make the Best of Everything!”
Fast Forward
As I write this, it is November 5th and I have just received a text message from the leader of the same core group, that the shut-down is over and we are back in business. Well, maybe! At least we are starting back. Not sure what it means. I’m excited for the possibility and yet there is so much uncertainly. It literally seems that every aspect of our lives is changing. And yet I’m feeling fortified and resilient. The GED process works, as they say in the twelve step programs, “It works when you work it!”
The GED process allowed me to be grateful for the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of my life to date. I’m excited to be healthy, alive and in a position to help others to manage the challenges of living during this time. I’m also devoted to sharing the tools and techniques that are needed to settle down, work hard and persevere in the face of such extreme challenges.
In future blog entries I will share the essence of the reflections that came out of this time. For now, please know how happy I am to be back. The challenge is to get back to work and not miss out on the moment and the opportunities to be present and make the best of everything.
Future issues
The best advice for saving yourself in the Moment
Re-Write the Story
Get Back in the Gym
Work with people that want to work with us